Buckle for plane belts, preferably textile belts

ABSTRACT

A sheet metal buckle having one end adapted to be attached to one end of a textile belt, is provided with a spring-loaded tongue pivotally mounted on the buckle and adapted to engage an integral transverse portion of the buckle located at its other end for clamping the belt therebetween. The transverse portion is formed by bending part of the sheet metal to provide a forward portion which is directed upwardly away from the bottom of the buckle and inclined inwards toward the buckle and which is thereafter bent downward and inwards toward the buckle to provide a first surface, and by bending a further part of the buckle to provide a rearward portion which is directed upwards relative to the bottom member and which terminates in a second surface forming a stop adjacent said first surface at a position below the clamping end of the spring loaded tongue.

United States Patent Norman Mar. 5, 1974 [76] lnventor: Karl Arne Norman, 5-790 20 Grycksbo, Falun, Sweden 22 Filed: Aug. 8, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 278,835

[52] US. Cl. 24/191 [51] Int. Cl A44b 11/12 [58] Field of Search 24/170, 191, 192, 193, 78

[56] References Cited UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 74,367 2/1868 Hurd 24/170 1,208,108 12/1916 Davis 24/170 1,385,945 7/1921 Heberling 24/191 1,997,653 4/1935 Reiter 24/193 2,487,251 1l/1949 Lewis et al 24/191 Primary Examiner-Donald A. Griffin Attorney, Agent, or FirmElliott l. Pollack [57] ABSTRACT A sheet metal buckle having one end adapted to be attached to one end of a textile belt, is provided with a spring-loaded tongue pivotally mounted on the buckle and adapted to engage an integral transverse portion of the buckle located at its other end for clamping the belt therebetween. The transverse portion is formed by bending part of the sheet metal to provide a forward portion which is directed upwardly away from the bottom of the buckle and inclined inwards toward the buckle and which is thereafter bent downward and inwards toward the'buckle to provide a first surface, and by bending a further part of the buckle to provide a rearward portion which is directed upwards relative to the bottom member and which terminates in a second surface forming a stop adjacent said first surface at a position below the clamping end of the spring loaded tongue.

2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures BUCKLE FOR PLANE BELTS, PREFERABLY TEXTILE BELTS This invention relates to an improved buckle intended for use with planar belts, preferably textile belts of the general type comprising a sheet metal member having a spring loaded tongue pivotally mounted thereon for receiving and clamping a belt between the tongue and a portion of the buckle.

Known buckles of this general type include a forward transverse portion, between which portion and the spring-loaded tongue the belt can be clamped, taking the form of a member which is rotatably supported in lateral pieces of the buckle.

The present invention provides an improvement of this known buckle in several important respects. The holding power of the belt is improved and the buckle is made stronger than has been the case heretofore. By providing a forward transverse member which is integral with the buckle structure, strength is gained in comparison with the rotatable transverse member of the prior art buckle. The rotatability of the prior transverse member is conditioned by the requirement of a safe clamping of the belt, and said rotatable member can be pulled out of its mounting in the lateral pieces. The known buckle, moreover, is weak for the additional reason that the spring-loaded tongue of the belt can be pulled past and will be located below the rotatable transverse member because the end stop for the tongue has been arranged some distance inwards from its engaging end. This risk does not exist in the buckle of the present invention, because the end stop for the tongue is located directly below the engaging edge of the tongue. Due to the special design of the portions of the transverse member which engage with the belt, the buckle is given added strength and simultaneously a better clamping of the belt is obtained.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 depicts the buckle of the present invention from above attached to a belt,

FIG. 2 depicts the buckle from below,

FIG. 3 depicts the buckle from the side,

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section of the buckle, and

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section similar to FIG. 4 showing, the belt clamped in the buckle.

The buckle of the present invention comprises a sheet metal member provided with a planar bottom portion 1 having upwardly folded lateral portions 2 in which a spring-loaded tongue 3 is rotatably supported in two holes 4 into each of which projects a stud 5 formed in the tongue 3. The forward end of the buckle is provided with a rectangular opening 6 through which the belt end is intended to be introduced and brought into engagement with the tongue 3.

A transverse portion in front of the opening 6 comprises a lower portion 7 which at its ends in a direction transverse to the buckle merges smoothly into the lateral portions 2. The lower portion 7 is extended at its forward edge 8 by a forward portion comprising an integral upwardly and inwardly curved portion 9 which at 10 continues into a downwardly and inwardly curved portion 11 terminating at the end 12.

The lower portion 7, furthermore, is extended'inwards at 13 by an upwardly curved rearward portion 14 the end of which, designated 15, is located inside of the portion 11 and its end 12. The end 12, according to the embodiment shown in the drawing, is located on a level below the edge 15, but it may, of course, be located on the same level as or even somewhat higher than the end 15 without thereby changing its engaging relation with the belt.

The clamping of the belt is effected by engagement between the end edge 15, see FIG. 5, the portion 11 and the end edge 16 of the tongue 3. When the buckle is subjected to pulling from the belt, the free belt section 17 is keyed effectively in the engagement between the tongue end edge 16 and the portion 11. The portion 11 preferably is so inclined that the distance between the portion 11 and the tongue end edge 16 decreases with the approach of the edge 16 to the end edge 15. The edge 15 which is located below the tongue end edge 16 constitutes a stop for the continued rotation of the tongue 3 and simultaneously effects a bending of the belt which favourably affects the locking. It is important in this connection that the space between the tongue end edge 16 and the portion 11 be properly selected for the belt in question so that an effective keying is obtained.

The belt clamp is released by depressing the inner end of the tongue 3 whereby the tongue end edge 16 is lifted. The tongue 3 is located by a U-shaped spring 18 tending to press down the tongue end edge 16. The buckle may be fastened to one end of the belt by a suitable device which in this embodiment includes a sheet metal member 19 located on the belt and having a toothed downwardly curved end edge projecting into the belt in co-action with an impression 22 projecting upwards from the bottom portion 1. Twotongues 21 integral with the structure of the buckle on both sides are pressed down over the sheet metal member 19 for retaining the member 19 and thereby also the belt in place.

The buckle according to the embodiment shown is made of sheet metal, but it may within the scope of the invention also be made of plastics. In such a case the forward transverse portion preferably is made solid and cast together with the lateral pieces.

What I claim is:

l. A buckle for planar belts, preferably textile belts, having an inner end adapted for permanent attachment to one end of a belt, said buckle being provided with a spring-loaded tongue which is rotatably supported between the ends of said tongue about an axle extending in a direction transverse to the buckle between upwardly directed lateral portions of a sheet metal bottom member which extends across the width of the buckle, the end of said tongue which faces said inner end of the buckle being depressible against the action of said spring for lifting the other, outer end of the tongue, the other end of the belt being intended to be introduced and clamped between said outer end of the tongue and a transverse member extending at the outer end of the buckle between the outer ends of said lateral portions, said transverse member being integral with said bottom member and being provided, for engagement with the belt, with a first surface located directly in front of the outer end of the tongue and with a second surface located directly below the outer end of the tongue, said first surface and said tongue being so arranged that the distance between said first surface and the outer end of the tongue decreases with the approach of the outer is integral with and positioned between said outer ends of said lateral portions, said lower element of the transversemember including a forward portion which is directed upwards away from said bottom member and inclined inwards toward the buckle and which is thereaf ter directed downwards toward the inner'edge of the lower element and inclined inwards toward the buckle to form said first surface, said lower element further including a rearward portion having a width substantially equal to that of the buckle, said rearward position being directed upwards relative to said bottom member and terminating in an end edge constituting said second 

1. A buckle for planar belts, preferably textile belts, having an inner end adapted for permanent attachment to one end of a belt, said buckle being provided with a spring-loaded tongue which is rotatably supported between the ends of said tongue about an axle extending in a direction transverse to the buckle between upwardly directed lateral portions of a sheet metal bottom member which extends across the width of the buckle, the end of said tongue which faces said inner end of the buckle being depressible against the action of said spring for lifting the other, outer end of the tongue, the other end of the belt being intended to be introduced and clamped between said outer end of the tongue and a transverse member extending at the outer end of the buckle between the outer ends of said lateral portions, said transverse member being integral with said bottom member and being provided, for engagement with the belt, with a first surface located directly in front of the outer end of the tongue and with a second surface located directly below the outer end of the tongue, said first surface and said tongue being so arranged that the distance between said first surface and the outer end of the tongue decreases with the approach of the outer end of the tongue toward Said second surface, said transverse member comprising a lower element which is integral with and positioned between said outer ends of said lateral portions, said lower element of the transverse member including a forward portion which is directed upwards away from said bottom member and inclined inwards toward the buckle and which is thereafter directed downwards toward the inner edge of the lower element and inclined inwards toward the buckle to form said first surface, said lower element further including a rearward portion having a width substantially equal to that of the buckle, said rearward position being directed upwards relative to said bottom member and terminating in an end edge constituting said second surface, said end edge being positioned below the highest level of said forward portion and, viewed in the longitudinal direction of the buckle, being positioned rearwardly of said forward portion.
 2. A buckle according to claim 1 wherein the contour of that portion of the forward portion which is directed upwards and inwards toward the buckle is curved to substantially coincide with the contours of the outer ends of the lateral edges, seen from the sides of the buckle. 